Crowds of people, including schoolchildren returning home, gathered to watch an argument which descended into violence in the centre of Bristol on Wednesday afternoon.

The sickening scenes appeared to involve a shopworker and another man attempting to detain a man in the area around - and in - the fountains between Broad Quay and the Hippodrome, at The Centre.

Videos of the scene taken by onlookers show a smaller, older man punch a bigger, younger man in a white T-shirt once at the start of the film, and then land three more blows a few minutes later as the argument continued.

What do we know about the videos?

The videos were sent to Bristol Live on Wednesday afternoon, not long after the incident happened.

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What do we know about the incident?

Trouble began at around 4.30pm on Wednesday, and while Mr Gabriel said he does not know what happened before he got there, his impression was that the man in the white shirt was initially arguing with a man who is wearing a fleece uniform from the Co-op.

As Mr Gabriel began filming, the taller, younger man is initially held but then pulls away, losing his jacket and ending up in just a white T-shirt.

(Image: Bristol Live/Christian Gabriel)

He advances on a smaller man, who is later revealed to have a northern, possibly Scouse, accent. Within a second or two, the smaller man lands one blow to his jaw and then the pair lock hands.

The argument continues, with the man who threw the punch explaining that ‘I did that because you insulted me’.

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At one point, the man in the Co-op fleece attempts - with the help of the smaller, northern man - to try to detain the taller man. They even appear to attempt to wrestle him to the ground.

A woman holding a bright orange pumpkin intervenes, although it is not clear if she is with the taller man or merely stepping in as a peacemaker. She pleads with the two men to stop, and promises to ‘pay the money’.

A woman was holding a pumpkin throughout (Image: Bristol Live/Christian Gabriel)

Other members of the public also intervene to try to call a halt to the argument with the promise that money will be paid.

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But efforts to calm the situation down did not work, and after a few more minutes, the man in the white T-shirt is again challenging the shorter, northern man, and both step into the fountain area.

They square up to each other, and the smaller man lands three blows to the face in quick succession, to the shock of the crowd, and without reply from the taller man.

A fight in the Fountains in Bristol City Centre (Image: Bristol Live/Christian Gabriel)

There is more arguing and debate, before the taller man who had been hit leaves towards the Baldwin Street area with the woman, and the attacker and the man from the Co-op leave towards the Colston Street side of The Centre, where the Co-op store is.

Mr Gabriel said the argument appeared to have been going on for a short time before he arrived, but no one who had gathered to watch appeared to know what it was about.

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Mr Gabriel said that people around him were on the phone to the police to report the incident as it was happening, but he did not see any police officers arrive at the scene while it was going on, and had left and had continued his journey towards the Bearpit by the time he saw a police response car travelling towards The Centre.

A fight in the Fountains in Bristol City Centre (Image: Bristol Live/Christian Gabriel)

“There was no police anywhere and tons of people watching, including loads of kids who were going back home from school,” he said.

Bristol Live has sent the video to Avon and Somerset police.

Did you see what happened in The Centre at 4.30pm on Wednesday? Were you involved? Get in touch with Bristol Live on 0117 9343331 or message our Facebook page.